Cloche, greenhouse, and the like



May 14, 1946.

E.' G. .loHNsQ-N 2,400,421

CLOGHE, GREENHOUSE, AND THE LIKE Filed May 51, 1945 A ltorney Patented May 14, 1946 i l v- OFFICE i CLCHE; G REENHQUS'E; vAND 'THE LIKE Eric-Goddard .robusta-Spalding, England Application May-31, 1945, 'serial No, 596,956 i ,l In Great Britain June 1944 Thisinventionrelates to' the constructionfof cloches, greenhousesandj the like in which panes of glass are xedin metal' frames and@ 4Silllr'l@ device is required`A for fastening each paneof vglass in position.V What is.,required'issorne',resilient `surmortfor the glass which ,willlavpid damage t lit in case Vit does not preciselyit thenframe, or if the glass or the frame is notfperfectlyattfand. at v'the same time the glass should Iin akea substan nanyanngntjcmrwitn the frame; if 1 "1 It is the :object (ofthe, present invention topro'- vide a rsecuri`n, g'device for: hcldin'gthejpanes ofv l' glassfnjfthe metalfrarnes,'whichsecuring device will hold the e glass' resnienuy' andy allow k'for its easy replacement and removal when required. lt is afurther object to provide 'a :spring 'clipand a lug for holding thelsame vwhichwill :enable the f resilient pressure 't0 apiiliedjto.theglassl parles 1in the frame- 1A still'. `further' 119J`e'01-1 ilS 150i enable spring clips to be adjustablyfmountedin' the 4lugs with a viewto accommodating`-.'additional' panes of glass when required.`

According to the present invention a securing device isprovided for holding panes of glass in metal frames such as are used in cloches, greenhouses and the like wherein the edges of the glass panes are tted with a resilient beading upon which they rest in the frames, and lugs are provided on the frames, each formed with two or more slots, and bent spring clips are provided each having a looped portion whereby it engages in two of the slots in a lug, and having also a projecting curved arm adapted to bear against a pane of glass near its edge when the looped portion is engaging in the slots in the lug. If each lug has three or more slots in a row, the clips can be adjusted to other positions for securing double glazing if required'in the frames. Each lug may have two sets of slots to accommodate the clips extending in opposite directions, to hold panes of Vglass in the frames at each side of the lug.

The invention isillustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a cloche to which the invention is applied;

Figure 2 is a detailed view of `one of the lugs and two of the spring clips as seen from thefront Figure 3 is a sectional view looking in the direction of the arrows III- III in Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a sectional view looking in the direction of the arrows IV-IV in Figure 2; and

Figure 5 is a sectional view corresponding with the lcloche there shown has projecting flanges d between the'panes of glass c and each flange carries lugsJ, provided with sets of slotsg for receiving the spring clips. The cloche is closed at the top by wooden frames m carrying panes `ofglass n, the' wooden frames restingv on the top of the metalframe structure. ff

y Eachjpane oifglasscfis fitted round its edges with a moulded beading Aof rubber orA the lkelas seenin Figure`4, the beading having portions d which" embrace the fglassV lpane and ar4 looped portion' e 'whichQextendsbeyond it.A Each pane of glass when provided with its beading is inserted so as to rest against the bases b of the frame members betweenthe ilanges a; and is securedin position by the spring clips, as shown. 4 Each clip has ajcurved,projecting arm h for bearing against the' glass plate and a looped'portion4 terminating in a tongue k by means of which the clipis held in two of the slots of the lug, as shown. In Figure lfeach lug hastwo pairs of slots for engagement by clips extending one to one side and one e to the other side of a flange a. In Figures 2 to 5 the lugs are marked f' and each has two rows of three slots y. When single glazing is used as shown in Figures 2, 3 and 4, the clip h is engaged by its looped portion i and the tongue rlc with the two inner slots in the plate f but when double glazing is used, as shown in Figure 5, the clip is engaged with the two outer slots in the lug J" as shown in this gure. 'I'he pressure of the clip normally flattens back the beading somewhat, pressing it into close contact with the frame and pressing the headings together when double glazing is used, as in Figure 5, but the beading is shown uncompressed in Figures 4 and 5 to illustrate its normal form.

With the construction illustrated it will be seen that it is easy to remove any pane of glass when required, by pressing together a tongue k and arm h of a spring suiilcientlyto enable the spring to be pushed backwardly through the slots in its lug, andwhen the four clips holding a pane are thus released, the pane can be removed by hand. When the pane is replaced the clips 'are brought into engagement again by pressing the tongues lc inwardly until they willengage in the appropriate slots g kin the lugs f or f'.

All the lugs or f for a cloche or greenhouse are preferably made of a standard pattern and they' may be spot-welded, riveted or otherwise secured to the flanges a of the metal frames in appropriate positions, such as are illustrated in Figure 1. If each lug has three or more slots in a row the frame can be used either for single or vious that other resilient materials may be-used,--

but rubber has the advantage of combining resilience with resistance to moisture.

Although rubber has been mentioned as a.V

The spring clips are not necessarily of the precise .shapey shown, provided that they have portions which will engage simultaneously in the slots in a lug or attachment whereby each clip is held in a position such that one arm exerts therequired spring pressure on the glass pane. The projecting arms of the clips arepreferably rounded or curved, as shown, so as to exert pressure by a smooth surfaceon the glass.

1. The combination withv a recessed` metal frame of al plurality of lugs projecting fromthe frame,- each with, a plurality of slots in it, a plurality of spring clips` each having a looped portion with two projecting arms, one of said arms being longer thanthe other and curvedvto provide a pressing surface, and a pane of glass With means for resiliently supporting it around its edges within the recess of said` frame, said spring clips being adapted each toengage in two slots in said lugs in a position such that the longer arm of each-such spring clip exerts pressure on the glass pane in .said frame. y

2. The combination with arecessed metal frame of a plurality of lugs projecting from the frame, each with ak plurality of slots in it,a` plurality of spring clips each having a, looped portion with two projecting arms, one of said arms being longer than the Vother and curved to provide a pressing surface, a pane of glass and resilient beading upon the edges of said pane of glass adapted to support it resiliently in said metal frame, said spring clips being adapted each to engage in two slots in one of said lugs in a position such that the longer arm of each such spring clip exerts pressure on the glass4 pane' in said frame. v v

3. The combination with a recessed metal frame o f a glass pane and resilient means for cushioning saidglass pane where it contacts, with the recess of said metal frame, a plurality of 'lugs on said metal frame formed with slots therein, and a plurality of spring clips each having two arms adapted to engage resiliently With adjacent slots in'said lugs, each spring clip having one arm elongated and curved backwardly, each spring, clip beingengaged with its `two arms projecting'throughadjacent slots in one of said lugs, the shorter arm projectingy outwardly and the longer. armprojecting inwardly to bear against the surface of said pane of glass. Y

4. The combination with a recessed Vmetal frame of a glass pane -and resilient means for cushioning said glass `pane where it contacts with said metal frame, a plurality of lugs on said metal frame each provided with at least three slots-one beyond another therein, and a vplurality of spring clips each with a looped .portion and two projecting arms-one longer than the yother;adapted, to engage in adjacent slots in said lugs.. the longer arm of each such clip beingcurvedto provide a rounded surface for bearingagainst said pane of glass, eachsuch clip being adapted for engagement with anyadjacent pair of slots4 in its lug whereby saidspring clipsare adjustable in position'rto accommodatepanesof glassat varying depths within-,said,metalframe.r

' ERIC GODDARD JOHNSON; 

